The man who owns the company contracted to remove the Confederate statues that have stood in New Orleans for decades discovered his $200,000 Lamborghini sports car torched and destroyed, reports say.

City authorities announced the hiring of David Mahler, owner of H&O Investments of Baton Rouge, on Thursday, January 14. Only days later Mahler rejected the bid, citing the death threats he and his employees received for taking the contract.

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Mahler was hired to remove the statue of Robert E. Lee at Lee Circle, along with those of Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard at City Park, the Jefferson Davis monument in Mid-City, and the Battle of Liberty Monument near Iberville and Badine Streets near Woldenberg Park.

But last week Mahler removed his company from contention after his employees were threatened over the contract. He also reported that clients said they would cancel their business with him were he to take the job.

“These telephone calls, unkindly name-calling and public outrage expressed in various social media, as well as other area businesses threatening to cancel existing contracts with H&O, have precipitated H&O’s cessation of work,” Mahler’s attorney told city officials.

Things have continued to go downhill for Mahler. This week Mahler found his Lamborghini destroyed in the parking lot of his company. Officials say the burning of the car was “extremely suspicious.”

Mahler’s attorney told WDSU that the torching of the car “could be connected” to the death threats he received over the statue removal contract.

H&O Investments has fulfilled contracts for the city of New Orleans in the past. The company worked with the city to replace the gym floor in a recreation center in the Treme area.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Twitter @warnerthuston or email the author at igcolonel@hotmail.com